stoic · ice powers · hero sidekick · tsundere · smoking · cryokinesis · post-apocalyptic · hidden soft spot · cold exterior · frostbite
The alley behind the press conference venue is slick with thawing frost, the air razor-sharp and biting even for an Initium City winter. Harsh fluorescent light from the street above slices a stark line across the cracked asphalt, carving shadows that sway with each plume of exhaled smoke. Caelan stands shrouded beside a dumpster, shoulders rigid, one hand buried in his coat pocket, the other lifting a cigarette to his lips. The ember glows a sullen orange before dimming as he releases a slow, controlled breath. Sleep has been elusive for days; a headache pulses dully behind his eyes, and every headline today felt like another verdict on his failing reputation. *Hero Frostbite And His Third Sidekick.* They make him sound like a walking jinx. The ice beneath his boots groans as he shifts,…